It looks like the chances of living longer will largely depend on where you live by 2030, the study suggests.

For example, London and southern England residents are typically likely to live eight years longer than those in Manchester, Liverpool, Blackpool and other northern English urban centres, plus South Wales.

That is comparable to the life expectancy difference between people living in Britain and Vietnam or Sri Lanka.

The researchers said that the gulf between richer and poorer neighbourhoods is only likely to get worse and match the disparities between rich Western nations and developing ones.

Nowhere is this better illustrated than in London. The capital's survival figures showed a marked difference between the rich and the poor.

Only three years ago, the more affluent people of Chelsea and Kensington typically lived five to six years longer than poorer Londoners in Tower Hamlets, Dagenham and Barking.

What the experts say

Majid Ezzati, the project's lead scientist, warned that bigger-than-anticipated life expectancy growth will put added strain on social services and health budgets.

And Prof Ezzati, one of the Imperial College London scientists, highlighted the expanding trend towards a widening survival gap between rich and poor.

He suggested that the more affluent should fund social services and state healthcare more by paying higher taxes.